Trial begins for Marine in alleged gang rape

[unhappycamper]

Trial begins for Marine in alleged gang rape
Kyodo News Agency
Posted : Tuesday May 6, 2008 6:46:42 EDT

IWAKUNI, Japan — A court-martial began Tuesday at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni for one of four Marines accused of raping a Japanese woman in Hiroshima City last October.

The U.S. military began the court-martial after Japanese law enforcement authorities did not pursue prosecution against them.

The defendant, a 20-year-old lance corporal who was 19 at the time of the incident, was charged with alleged sexual assault and disobedience in violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the Iwakuni base said.

Courts-martial for the other three are scheduled to begin from later this month to June.

Japanese police sent papers in November to public prosecutors on the four on suspicion of gang-raping the woman after meeting her at a dance event and forcing her into a car from the night of Oct. 13 to the early hours of Oct. 14.


Rest of article at: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/05/kyo_rapetrial_050608/